SHSelfHostIndex

Solanum vs UnrealIRCd

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

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SO Solanum IRCv3 server daemon used by Libera.Chat VS UN UnrealIRCd Highly configurable open-source IRC server
FeatureSolanumUnrealIRCd
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectRead-the-docs project
Health score71 · Good75 · Good
CategoryChat & CommunicationChat & Communication
LicenseGPL-2.0GPL-2.0
LanguageCC
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, sourcebare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 262★ 521
First released20201999
ReplacesSlack, DiscordSlack, Discord

What are Solanum and UnrealIRCd?

Solanum

Solanum is an IRCv3 server daemon descended from the Charybdis lineage. It is the software that powers the Libera.Chat IRC network and is suitable for running large IRC infrastructures.

  • Powers Libera.Chat
  • IRCv3 protocol support
  • Scales to large networks
  • Charybdis-derived codebase

UnrealIRCd

UnrealIRCd is a long-established IRC server daemon known for its rich feature set, advanced security controls, and module system. It is one of the most widely deployed IRCd implementations.

  • Extensive module system
  • Advanced anti-abuse features
  • TLS and IRCv3 support
  • Highly configurable

Solanum vs UnrealIRCd: key differences

Both projects are written in C. UnrealIRCd is the more established project (first released 1999), while Solanum arrived in 2020.

Why pick each one

Choose Solanum if…

  • Released under the GPL-2.0 license
  • Written in C
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Solanum details

Choose UnrealIRCd if…

  • Released under the GPL-2.0 license
  • Written in C
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
UnrealIRCd details

Frequently asked questions

Is Solanum or UnrealIRCd better?

UnrealIRCd is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Solanum if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Solanum and UnrealIRCd free and open-source?

Yes. Solanum is licensed under GPL-2.0 and UnrealIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Solanum and UnrealIRCd with Docker?

Solanum: check the project docs for container support. UnrealIRCd: check the project docs for container support.

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